Oliver - A Bistro - Bordentown, NJ

At this point, it is almost pointless to post something about Oliver, as we have yet to ever have a bad experience there, but I figure it is worth giving Matt and his crew some kudos for yet another great meal and great service. Today Zelda and I popped in for lunch, and as usual the lunch crowd was hoppin' by 1PM. As usual, Bruce gave us some great service, and the bus boy, who's name I can never remember is just the nicest kid. For lunch, Zelda opted for a bowl of the "Old Faithful," which is a nice potato souped topped with cheddar cheese. She went for the bacon-less version as she usually does, and as always, the soup was good. We really need to get this recipe! For lunch, she opted for a crock of the mac and cheese, and this is always a pleaser, and great comfort food. It comes in a nice large crock, and could easily make for 2 meals. The top had a nice crust on it from the boiler, and topped with nice bread crumbs. I went out of my norm today and went for the crab cake sandwich. If there is one thing I am very picky about, it is crab cakes, but this was very nice. It was served on a nice croissant with some nice slaw, and the croissant had a really nice buttery flavor it it. he crab cake itself was almost as good as mine, and had great flavors. From the first time I had Matt's crab cakes until now, I have to say that Matt has them almost perfected. Unlike most places, he doesn't add a bunch of crazy colored vegetables as filler, and he used just the right amount of bread crumbs. Like my recipe, Matt wants you to taste the crab, and I think he is just a step away from the perfect crab cake. Unfortunately though, I can't quite pick out what will get him to 100%, but right now, he is at 99%! That said, keep up the great work Matt. After lunch we id a little shopping around Bordentown, as it such a cute little town before moving on and running some other errands. In short, yet another great meal at Oliver-A Bistro. Kudos to Matt and his crew, and to Bruce for the great service as always. Oliver is definitely worth the trip, and I highly recommend it for both lunch and dinner. Just don't forget that they are BYOB! Cheers!

Oliver - A Bistro Bordentown, NJ

Dinner at Oliver - A Bistro in Bordentown on a Friday night? Go figure! Another great meal! Kudos to the Oliver crew! Crispy Chicken Salmon

Oliver - A Bistro - Bordentown, NJ

It's been a while since we have been able to make it to Oliver's for lunch, so what better day than after the 4th of July? We arrived around Noon, only to find 2 other tables in the restaurant, but by the time we left, they had quite a few more tables sat! We got a great seat in the window, and it was nice to see our friends Pat & Frank having lunch at Oliver as well. As usual, Bruce took great care of us, and it is always a pleasure. Owner Danielle came over and spent quite some time chatting with us, and that is always nice. Not only are her and Matt great restaurateur's, they are also damn nice people, and good friends. Zelda opted for her usual today, the West Coast Wrap, which is filled beautifully with grilled chicken, avocado, and a delicious sauce. This is one if Zelda's favorites, and is ordered quite often with roasted potatoes on the side. I opted for my usual as well, the Jack Mack burger. This is a great bistro styled burger opposed to the down and dirty greasy burger. It's topped with a delicious cheese spread and bacon, and I too opted for the roasted potatoes on the side. I love the buns that they serve this burger one. They have a nice crunch on the outside, yet are so soft in the middle. It was cooked medium and perfect, and was such a tasty meal! What can we say? Another great meal at Oliver's, and that's why we keep coming back! I'm sure a lot of you are sick of reading about this place, but we just cannot get enough! Kudos guys!

Oliver - A Bistro Bordentown, NJ

A great night to take a trip into Bordentown City. Upon arriving at Oliver - A Bistro, Danielle greeted us to a packed house, so we headed down to the outside bar on the deck of Marcello's for a few glasses of sangria. As usual, the sangria was very tasty, and we enjoyed a glass for about a 1/2 hour before calling over to Oliver's to see if Danielle had a table for us. She did indeed!

The restaurant was still packed which is great to see! We love the fact that Matt and Danielle took Bordentown's best lunch spot and also turned it into the best dinner spot in town as well. As usual, Bruce was the man and server for us tonight, and it is always a joy!

We skipped out on appetizers tonight and went straight for the entrees. Zelda selected the Crispy Chicken once again, served over sweet pea risotto. This dish is an absolute winner, and the sauce that Matt created for the chicken is fabulous. The skin on the chicken has a nice crispiness to it, yet it is not charred or burned. It was cooked perfectly, and I think that Zelda said it best when she said that you could literally drink the sauce. I cannot explain it, and I would kill to be able to know how to make this sauce. It really compliments the chicken well, and it also pairs nicely with the risotto.

I took a different route tonight, and did something against my better judgement by ordering the crab cakes. As some know, I am very particular when it comes to crab cakes, the spices used, as well as the type of crab meat used. Most places use backfin, which is good, but they tend to put too much filler in. Thankfully, I was very happy with my decision, and the crab cakes were delicious! Were they as good as mine? No! Sorry Matt! But he does use some nice backfin, with clumps of lump meat as well. He used very little filler, so it gives you the choice to enjoy the crab. I also like the fact that he doesn't use red pepper, or pimento, or some other type of filler that really masks the taste of the crab. All in all, these were very good, and I would order them again sometime.

What can we say? Another great meal in a great town. Our dinnr paired very well with a bottl of Stefania's latest release, Haut Tubee.

Oliver - A Bistro - Bordentown, NJ

We were originally going to go to the Blue Point Grill in Princeton, but on the way there, we turned the wheel and headed into Bordentown to visit one of our favorite restaurants, Oliver - A Bistro.

It was a warm night in Bordentown, and Oliver was the usual rocking place, with jam packed tables. The whole town of Bordentown was dead, so I think it had a lot to do with the weather. Thankfully, Oliver had the air working, and fans blowing, so it was nice and comfortable.

As usual, Bruce took great care of us, and it is always a pleasure to dine with him. We sat at the first table right in the middle of the restaurant, with a nice view of the main drag, Farnsworth Avenue in Bordentown. With it being so hot, I really wanted something light tonight. We skipped the soups, salads, and appetizers, and went straight for the entrees.

Zelda opted for a new dish on the menu, the Crispy Chicken with Sweet Pea Risotto, and it was absolutely fabulous. Perfectly cooked with great skin and flavor, served up with her favorite risotto made this an absolute winner.

I opted to go the boring route tonight, and had the Cheese Tortellini Pasta with Sweet Italian Sausage, Roasted Peppers, Broccoli Rabe, Parmesan Cream Sauce, and I was not disappointed. I've seen this on the menu a million times, but have never though much of it. Tonight, it was perfect. A healthy portion of sausage, with really nice tasting tortellini, and a cream sauce that was to die for. Great flavors topped off with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese make this a winner.

After filling up on dinner, we skipped dessert tonight and headed home just before the down pour came. All in all, another great meal at Oliver. Kudos to Matt and Danielle once again!

2004 Cherry Hill Winery Pinot Noir Estate

We brought this wine along with us to Oliver - A Bistro in Bordentown. For those of you who are not familiar with Oliver, be sure to check out their site at: http://oliverabistro.com/ Chef Matt and wife Danielle are doing a great job over there, and I will have a full review to come in the future!

Popped and poured, and this wine could have used an hour, if not several in a decanter. Unfortunately, that was not an option, but what can you do. Either this wine is still young, which is possible, but overall, I just think it is not a top notch Oregon pinot. Lots of sour cherry and raspberry all over the nose. On the palate, more of the same, with hints of oak, and lots of acidity. The finish seemed sour and un-complex, and overall, this wine left a lot to be desired for the price. Definitely some better values out there for the money, but it was worth trying something different. 83 points.